By Seth Koenig Bangor Daily News column In 2011, the journal Science published a groundbreaking study that tracked the recent habitat shifts of nearly 1,400 animals, plants and insects, and the results were striking. Researchers found that the species were moving away from the equator and into higher elevations two to three times as fast Read More
Climate Change
Climate change and global warming pollution harm Maine people, wildlife, and our environment. Global warming, also known as climate change, is caused by a blanket of pollution that traps heat around the earth. This pollution comes from cars, factories, homes, and power plants that burn fossil fuels such as oil, coal, natural gas, and gasoline.
Climate-changing pollution knows no boundaries. It enters the atmosphere, spreads across the globe, and traps heat around the earth for 50-200 years after it is emitted. That is why we need to reduce global warming pollution now, because our children, and their children, will still feel the effects of global warming for years to come. Currently, the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are at their highest levels in hundreds of thousands of years.
Learn how you can reduce climate-changing pollution and advocate for a cleaner, healthier Maine.
Saving Canada’s Boreal Forest
by Scott Weidensaul and Jeffrey V. Wells New York Times op-ed STRETCHING from interior Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland, and sandwiched between the prairies and the Arctic, North America’s boreal forest is a mind-boggling 1.5 billion acres in size — bigger even than the vast rain forests of the Brazilian Amazon or the Congo. And Read More
Report: Climate Change Threatens America’s Cherished Outdoor Experience
Stressful Weather Conditions Exacerbate Pests and Threaten Health in Maine News release by the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the National Wildlife Federation Augusta, MAINE, May 27, 2015 – Climate change is creating favorable conditions for many bothersome pests, including ticks, and is increasing their numbers and expanding their ranges, according to a report Read More
Maine PUC Votes to Deny Motions by Four Parties to Reconsider Its Decision to Limit Energy Efficiency
Second failure by PUC to honor legislative intent means Maine Senate should now take action to correct error News Release Augusta, ME – The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) today voted (2-1) to deny two motions urging them to reconsider their recent decision to severely limit funding for energy efficiency programs that reduce electricity costs Read More
Here Comes the Sun, So Why Isn’t Maine Taking Advantage of Free Power?
Maine has 30 percent more sun than Germany, which gets 7 percent of its electricity from solar power. By George Smith Kennebec Journal column “Here comes the sun; here comes the sun; and I say it’s all right.” Well, maybe not. This Beatles song is right about the sun. It shines in Maine more than Read More
Maine’s Other Amazing Tide: Migrating Birds
Maine is famous for its tides, gently coming and going across mudflats and estuaries and pushing back and forth over the rocky coast. But there’s another tide, one that would likely appear just as dramatic, if you could see it. It’s the great spring movement of North America’s migratory birds.
Maine House Gives Initial Approval to Restore Funds for Energy Efficiency Program
The House voted 138-1 to approve the bill, but Gov. Paul LePage has indicated that he plans to veto it. By Steve Mistler, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — The House of Representatives gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill designed to fix a clerical error that cut $38 million from an Read More
Efficiency Maine ‘And’ Fix Bill Sails Through House
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — A controversial bill to fix a typo that could be worth roughly $38 million to the Efficiency Maine Trust sailed through the House of Representatives Wednesday on a 138-1 vote. Assistant House Majority Leader Sara Gideon’s bill, LD 1215, which inserts the Read More
Maine House Votes 138-1 to Pass One-word Bill to Correct Typo in Energy Efficiency Law
NRCM news release Statement of Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine The House voted 138-1 to pass LD 1215, the one-word bill to correct a typo in the omnibus energy bill passed last session, in order to prevent a major cut to energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses. “This year Read More
